To dance among the Stars
by angelofthelightanddark
Summary: Soul-bonds are common, names written into skin to guide them to their chosen. But two bonds are rare, and it is rarer still that a human would carry the bond of an alien. Especially when that alien race is trying to eradicate humanity. Scenes from a mix-up of the original Star Blazers and 2199 with a soul-bond twist.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so Star Blazers was the first anime series I ever watched and I loved it. I loved the crew of the Argo, Starsha and Desslok.**

 **Favorite villain/anti-hero. Ever.**

 **Ahem, anyway, I got to thinking about the hero and villain having a soul bond and here we are. I hope you like it!**

The bond is aching again, driving Derek from the warm comfort of his bunk to wander the halls of the ship.

He ends up in the port observation room on third deck, looking out in the vastness of the starry void that surrounds the _Yamato._ It's still a long way to Iscandar, and most of the crew is starting to get cabin fever.

It's not unusual given how long the trip was calculated to take.

The ache seems to ease at the sight of the stars.

Derek wonders if his bonded is looking at them too.

He's one of the odd ones, with two bonds. One he's met, Lieutenant Nova Forrester, from communications.

The other is in Gamilas. It's taken him a long while to accept that. To be bonded to a member of the race that is trying to wipe humanity from the galaxy.

The bond thrums, and suddenly, he's not looking at the stars outside the observation room anymore.

There's towering spires of crystal, a glowing blue planet high in the sky and a sprawling alien cityscape below. An alien voice, low and deep is saying something.

 _No, singing something?_

Derek wonders at the sound of the language, unheard through a translator, sharp and guttural, and yet there is some strange beauty to it.

In the distance, a spire is set alight with a brilliant blue glow, as the singer continues his song, and it only flares brighter. Derek catches a glimpse of a blue hand, gesturing high towards the spire, and on the closest finger, he can see a silver ring etched with writing.

A hand rests on Derek's shoulder and he blinks, the cityscape vanishing and sudden silence overtaking the sound of song.

"You alright?" Saundor asks.

"Fine," Derek says, "I just couldn't sleep is all."

Saundor nods. He is aware that Derek holds a Gamilon bond. One of the few who do, now that Alex is dead.

Nova knows. She only has Derek's bond, but not the Gamilon.

"Anything interesting?" Saundor asks, leaning against the railing.

Derek glances around; they are the only people in the room.

"I saw a crystal city. I heard a voice, but I didn't know what they were saying."

Saundor nods.

"Let me know of you want to talk," he says at length. "And get some sleep. You'll need it."

* * *

Desslok watches the light of the spires fade as he finishes his prayers.

He'd felt something during them, something curious and a little awed.

Below, the city is still awake, lights glowing in the darkness, very much like the stars above their planet.

He casts his gaze to his sister-world, blue and beautiful, and just as devastated as his own.

Only now two remain of the noble Iscandar line.

He closes his eyes against the grief he feels for his dying world, his dying sister-world, and turns back to the throne room. There is still much to be done.

The Earth ship cannot reach Iscandar. He will _not_ let it.

* * *

Derek dreams of pale grey eyes and blue skin, watching a man with blond hair commanding troops with skill.

He sees the man again, head bowed at the foot of a massive stone, droplets of water pooling on the stone beneath him.

He also dreams of a faint press of lips against the corner of his mouth. Soft and fleeting.

 _Watch the stars._ A man's voice says. And Derek wakes to the sound of a klaxon alarm blaring.

* * *

Desslok is sleeping when a servant wakes him.

"Forgive me, my Leader," the woman, Aida, says quietly, having deftly ducked the blaster blot he had fired at her head.

His staff are well used to their Leader's habit of shooting when awoken suddenly. It doesn't faze them anymore.

"It is urgent, then?" Desslok says, sitting up and checking his blaster.

"Yes, my Leader, news from General Lysis," Aida says, kneeling before him.

"Aravis give me strength," Desslok mutters, "What news?"

"The Earth ship has destroyed much of Lysis's fleet, my Leader," Aida says.

Desslok closes his eyes, setting the blaster aside. Damnit.

"My Leader?" Aida asks. "Your orders?"

"Get me a comm, Aida," he says softly. "Immediately."

"Yes, my Leader."

* * *

The attempt comes the next morning, a blaster shot, almost perfectly aimed.

Desslok gives a quiet gasp as the shot impacts, but draws and fires back, a blast to the forehead that kills the assailant instantly.

But the damage has been done, the room beginning to blur.

"Lean on me," Talan murmurs in his ear, arm around his waist. "This will not bring you down."

"I should hope not," Desslok manages to say before sliding into darkness.

* * *

Derek feels it, a blaster shot to the chest, a movement that sends him reeling in the middle of the hallway.

"Derek?" Nova calls. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's been shot," Derek mumbles, feeling the spreading numbness.

"The other one?" Nova says, worriedly.

"Yeah," Derek says, feeling for the bond with the Gamilon. It's muted and dimming fast.

 _No._

"Come on," Derek hisses, suddenly angry that this bonded would give up so easily. "Fight you bastard!"

It dims further, into almost complete darkness. A fire turning to embers, frail and dying.

Then it _roars_ back to life, an inferno, blazing against the darkness of the universe.

" _Ho-leey shit,"_ Derek says, blinking, catching the supernova of _deathcannotholdme-Iamastarofmypeople-Iwillnotfalter-_

"Derek?" Nova asks.

"He's something," Derek says shaking his head. "I think he'll be okay though. Dunno how I feel about that."

* * *

Desslok wakes slowly, finding Talan at his side, as always. The man is asleep but the aide beside him is not.

"Try not to move, my leader," the aide advises, "The wound was deep, and you are still recovering."

"How long is my recovery period?" Desslok asks, wincing.

"You will need at least two weeks bedrest, my Leader," the aide says, nudging Talan with an elbow.

Talan blinks blearily, then his eyes widen. "Desslok! How are you feeling?!"

The aide rises, bows, and leaves.

"I'm not dead," Desslok says. "Could be worse."

Talan nods.

"How fares the Empire?" Desslok asks and closes his eyes, listening to Talan's report.

He had seen something in the darkness, heard a call, loud and somewhat desperate.

 _Fight you bastard!_

He was never one to go gently into darkness either. He wonders briefly, remembering the distant tales of his foremothers of the bonds between souls. Those that were strongest were forged in flame and shared difficulties.

He has one but has never reached along it, never considered who might stand at the end. But now…their strength had aided him.

"Desslok?"

"Yes?" he says.

"Shall I let you rest?" Talan asks.

Desslok cracks one eye open, looking at his friend's tired face.

"I'll be fine," he says. "Get some rest, Talan."

"Yes, my Leader," Talan says. "Heal soon."

"I'll try," Desslok says, smiling faintly.

He dreams of standing on a ship. It's strange a design he vaguely recalls, something his waking mind knows but at the moment it escapes him.

She's strong, a flame forged soul.

In his dream, he follows the thread that he can see, glowing like fire around his wrist and extending outwards.

 _Who are you?_ He calls out and receives no verbal answer but more a feeling of iron and stardust, strength in time of great need.

That's less than helpful.

He walks through empty corridors, managing to find a way to what looks to be the command center.

A strange ship indeed. Gamilon ships are built far differently. Still, he looks around because this is at least an interesting dream.

The thread on his wrist hasn't led him anywhere and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

* * *

Derek finds himself wandering the ship even in his uneasy dreams.

This is new though, there's someone standing at the starboard observation window, watching Beemera pass by.

Derek suppresses a shiver at the thought of the giant monsters that roam its surface, turning instead to study the man standing at the observation window.

He is blond, and as he shifts to leans against the rail, Derek can see his skin is a pale, pale blue.

A Gamilon.

The Gamilon says something, his voice low and deep.

Derek blinks because he's half sure that was English.

"Sorry?" Derek says.

"What is the name of this vessel?" the man asks, and he _is_ speaking English.

"I don't think I should tell you that," Derek says sharply, because dream or no, one can't be too careful.

The man laughs. "I see. And what is your name, child of Earth?"

"Wildstar," Derek says, impulsively.

"Wildstar," the man repeats. "Named for a star on the edge of expansion?"

"Not really," Derek says. "It's a family name."

"Ah," the man says. "Hmm. I am Desura, of Gamilon."

"Desura," Derek says, "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but your empire is bombing my home."

"My empire?" the Gamilon says. "The Emperor is the one who leads our mighty homeland."

"You could support his ideas," Derek shoots back.

The Gamilon sighs, looking out to the stars beyond. "My home is dying, Wildstar of Earth. Our numbers grow fewer each year, and our sister-planet dies with us. We have nowhere else to go."

"Then find another planet to bomb!" Derek hisses.

"We tried," Desura says quietly, "Planet after planet after planet. Nothing but Earth would suit us."

"And what of the people who you've doomed to death?!" Derek shouts, angry, "What of them?!"

"Only the strong may thrive," Desura says, and his words linger in Derek's mind long after Derek has woken up.

* * *

Desslok heals slowly, and the empire gathers its strength. The Yamato sails closer and closer with each passing day.

It irks Desslok to no end that an _Earth_ ship is destroying his fleet. _One_ ship.

You'd think that with all his ships, the combined military experience of his commanders and the soldiers at his command, he'd be able to take out one little, itty bity _ship._

 _It doesn't help that his ally Starsha is **helping** the bastards either._

And hadn't that been a knife in the back when he'd found that out?

He closes his eyes against the sight of his sister-world, glowing like a blue pearl above Gamilas, bright and beautiful and just as doomed as they are.

He _will_ not lose to these men of Earth, he _cannot._ His people **must** live.

* * *

Derek wonders if he'll ever meet his bonded face to face, or if they are destined to never meet.

Then again, he thinks, why would he have the name of a person, and _not_ be given at least the chance to meet them?

Alex would have called it a cruel twist of fate, but Alex is gone, and lost to reaches of space. He isn't here to crack jokes and lighten the heavy mood that has seemed to drape the ship since the Captain first collapsed.

Derek's bond hums, a quiet sort of content drifting across the stars to wrap as a mantle about his shoulders. It's kind of like a hug and Derek half wants to laugh and cry for the fact that a _Gamilon_ is comforting him.

He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Well, he's got to have some hope. Earth is still counting on them to get to Iscandar. They can't give up now.

They are so close to their goal, the Argo's engines pushing to reach that promise offered to them by a distant Queen of Stars.

They will reach it. They must reach it. **Earth has only 253 days left.**


	2. Chapter 2

By all rights, this should feel a victory, a triumph. He has brought down the enemy ship, pulled her from the star paths she has traveled so far to reach, but all Desslok, Leader of Gamilas, his people's best and last hope, feels is _hollow_.

His city has crumbled around him, his people fleeing for distant stars as the Earth-ship rained destruction down. Most of the ships are away, guarded by what little remains of the fleet he'd pulled from the battlefield.

His capital lies in ruins, his generals fled, all save Talan, who stands ever aside him in this, as in all things.

" _The Yamato's shields have fallen, my Leader,"_ Talan says, _"What are your orders?"_

Desslok doesn't answer, studying the high walls of the throne room.

" _Open a comm channel to Iscandar,"_ he says at last.

The room hums softly with energy, and the comm channel opens to Starsha's warm visage. They were not soul-bonded, not in the traditional sense, but Desslok can see how many have fallen for the beautiful Queen of Iscandar.

They are bonded by duty, a shared responsibility for their people.

" _Desslok,"_ Starsha says quietly, almost gravely, her pale hair falling about her shoulders, brown eyes soft.

" _Starsha,"_ he returns. Her name means Storm of the Cosmos, and it almost sings in their shared tongue. Desslok, on the other hand, has ever meant Fierce Protector.

" _You should have let them go,"_ she chides gently.

" _The weak_ _are to perish, only the strong are to survive,"_ Desslok says, repeating the teachings of old, _"They have only ever proven themselves to be the former. I...underestimated them."_

It takes more courage to say that, than to face down any enemy on the battlefield. Beside him, Desslok can feel Talan's incredulous stare.

" _Humanity is strong, Desslok,"_ Starsha says. _"Strong as we once were."_

Desslok absorbs this. _"Tell me, Starsha. Do you believe in_ _ **destiny**_ _?"_

The link crackles between them, blurring Starsha's image for a moment.

Static disruption, Desslok thinks, no doubt due to the Yamato's proximity.

" _I think that destiny is what you make it, Desslok,"_ Starsha says as the link clears. _"Destiny is not written in the stars that made us, nor in the threads of our souls that bind us together. One may go their whole lives without ever meeting their soul-bound."_

" _Have you?"_ Desslok asks.

Starsha smiles. _"I have, though we had little time together. He has passed to the stars, and I remain."_

" _Mine is aboard that ship,"_ Desslok says softly. _"I can feel him."_

" _And you have not reached out to him."_

" _No,"_ Desslok says.

" _Desslok,"_ Starsha says, reaching out to the comm with one pale hand. _"It is not too late."_

" _My city lies in ruins, my people fled, many_ _more are buried beneath the rubble of their homes, slain by humanity's wrath!"_ Desslok hisses.

" _Sir,"_ Talan says urgently at his side, laying a hand on his arm. _"The southern sector just collapsed into the acid sea. The volcanic activity is increasing. We must leave."_

Desslok looks out the viewport; the spires of the temples have almost vanished beneath the acid sea. Six sectors that were once residential are gone, two are badly damaged and sinking fast, one remains mostly untouched, only by virtue of being on slightly higher ground.

It won't last, Desslok knows. Gamilas has survived only this long by building up walls between them and the sea, and now, as the Yamato's cannons have breached those layers, the sea is roaring up to claim what is theirs.

Gamilas is dying now, its last flickers of life dancing amidst the cosmos once last time before it fades.

" _We are dying, Starsha,"_ Desslok says, _"Iscandar will soon follow. We are twin planets, what will affect one of us, will affect the other."_

" _I know,"_ Starsha replies. _"The preparations have already been made. The Cosmo DNA will be placed into humanity's care and then Iscandar shall follow her sister into death."_

She speaks so calmly, so resolute. It should make Desslok's blood boil, that she should accept death so easily but there is also a tiredness in his spirit, bone-deep, weary of fighting.

It is not his, he realizes after a moment. It's his soul mate's.

" _Oh my gods, he's a pacifist,"_ Desslok says aloud, astonished, _"My soul-bonded is a pacifist."_

" _They do say opposites attract,"_ Starsha says with a laugh. It almost sounds like it did so long ago, when their people were more friends than cold neighbors, and when the hope of a joined confederation of their planets was nearly a dream made reality.

He looks at her, a deep sorrow welling up inside him, alongside a burning desire for vengeance.

They've been through so much together, once as friends, as erstwhile lovers, and as rulers, standing against a universe that sought to snuff them out as a candle flame.

" _Farewell, my friend,"_ Starsha says, _"May the gods grant us peace in our next lives."_ and there are tears in her eyes before the comm cuts out.

" _Sir?"_ Talan asks as the sudden silence stretches out, broken only by the crashing of the acid sea against Desslok's doomed capital.

" _Open a comm to the Yamato,"_ Desslok snarls, staring up at the ship that has brought so much destruction. _If we are to fall, we will at least look upon the face of our vanquishers before the end!_


	3. Chapter 3

The Gamilas capital is in ruins, and Derek feels his stomach roil.

He'd seen the radar indicate hundreds, possibly thousands of lifesigns, whether they were soldiers, civilians, he wasn't sure. Now there are so _few_.

Two remain within one of the central spires-

 _And Derek remembers a blue hand raised towards a spire, a voice singing, a thrum of joy in his soul-_

There is a smoldering anger beneath his breastbone, hot and at the same time absolutely heartbroken. It is a maelstrom of emotions that suddenly ices over into hard winter.

 _If we are to fall, we will at least look upon the face of our vanquishers before the end!_

The voice is sharp, and it is as if the speaker stands before Derek himself, so clear are the words.

"Incoming comm from Gamilas!" Conroy shouts across the bridge.

"Put it up on screen," Derek says automatically.

The image fizzles, slowly becoming clearer.

Derek knows that face; he's seen it before. In a long ago dream.

" _I am Desslok, leader of the Gamilons."_ the man says, his voice familiar and resonant despite the distance between them. _"I must congratulate you, crew of the Yamato. You have traveled far, and faced many dangers to reach ourselves and our sister-world of Iscandar."_

"We had no other choice," Derek says. "Earth will not survive without the Cosmso DNA that Queen Starsha offered to us."

" _Starsha is a soft-hearted soul,"_ Desslok says, _"Did you know, child of Earth, when you first set out on your quest, that you were s_ _ailing_ _into our heartland?"_

"We did not," Saundor speaks up from his place at the communications readout. "We had almost no data on this star system before we entered it."

" _You will have even less in a few light years,"_ Desslok says flatly. Behind him, another Gamilon stands, looking worried. He leans forward to whisper something in Desslok's ear, placing a hand on his arm.

Desslok turns his head, resting his forehead against the other man's for but a moment, then draws away, saying nothing.

" _We are sister planets with Iscandar,"_ Desslok says, turning back to Derek and his eyes are bright with fury. _"Our birth and our death are irrevocably entwined. Gamilas is dying, crew of the Yamato."_

A surge of horror makes Derek stagger, as he realizes.

" _Yes, Iscandar is also dying,"_ Desslok says softly and even across the comm line Derek can hear the Gamilon's grief, _"But we have been dying for centuries. You've merely been the herald of our last hours."_

Desslok's eyes lock with Derek's, and there is a familiarity in them, a knowing that sings through the bond, crystalline and clear.

He's staring at his soul-bonded; the realization takes a moment to sink in. Desslok offers a wry smile, _"Well met, Derek of the Wildstar._ _You have traveled quite far to meet me."_

"I..." Derek is suddenly lost for words.

The comm fizzles, a roar of sound from the other side and as the link snaps back into focus, Derek can see the other Gamilon beside Desslok reaching out and steadying him. Desslok says something softly, before he looks at Derek again.

" _The city is collapsing,"_ Desslok says. _"The sea reclaims what was once hers."_

The image shudders again, fading at the edges. Derek looks up to see the acid sea rise up, a tidal wave of death, towards the spires.

" _The end comes,"_ Desslok says, and the bond between them seems to shift, a cold clarity that makes Derek shiver. _"But I do not think it will truly be the end. Nothing really ever ends, Derek. Did you know that? We are reborn again and again, new lives dancing amidst the c_ _osmos_ _. Endlessly."_

"Desslok-" Derek starts.

" _Look to the stars,"_ Desslok says, _"And remember us."_

The tidal wave hits the spires, a terrible shriek of metal rumbling through the deck of the Yamato as the spires collapse and the link cuts out, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.


End file.
